The aerodynamic configuration of a golf ball is an important factor in determining the performance characteristics, for example flight distance and trajectory shape, of the golf ball. Many different dimple pattern parameters influence aerodynamics. These parameters include dimple count, dimple coverage, i.e., the percentage of the surface of a golf ball that is covered or occupied by dimples, and the spatial relationships among the dimples.
Typically, dimple patterns have been composed of one or more repeating pattern elements, each of which is filled with a predetermined sub-arrangement of dimples. These elements usually total eight or more in number are typically polygonal in shape, having between three and six sides and generally correspond to the faces of a regular or semi-regular polyhedron.
Traditional polyhedron-based dimple arrangements provide a variety of options, but they also tend to favor particular dimple counts, particular coverage ranges and particular spatial relationships. For example, icosahedron-based dimple patterns tend to favor dimple counts such as 332, 392 and 432. In addition, these icosahedron-based dimple patterns tend to favor high dimple coverage and hexagonal packing, i.e., most dimples having six nearest neighbors. Octahedron-based layouts tend to favor 336 dimples, low dimple coverage and square packing.
U.S. Patent Application Publ. No. 2003/0157999 is directed to a golf ball having a cover including first and second hemispherical cups. The first and second hemispherical cups have a plurality of dimples provided on the outer circumference along each of the continuous first and second joint edges of the first and second hemispherical cups. No specifics are disclosed about the dimple coverage, number of dimples, dimples sizes or dimple packing. It appears, however, that a conventional icosahedron-based dimple pattern is used that has been arbitrarily divided into the two elongated regions, producing different arrangements of dimples within the two cups.
Therefore, a need remains for golf balls that utilize repeating dimple patterns and provide for alternative combinations of dimple count, dimple coverage, and dimple spatial relationships.